Preview: West Ham United vs. Manchester United - prediction, team news, lineups
On Sunday evening, Manchester United will travel to the London Stadium to face West Ham United in a crucial Premier League encounter. Both teams are in need of points, but for very different reasons. Man United is currently sitting in fourth place in the Premier League table, just four points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool, while West Ham occupies the 15th spot, just four points clear of the relegation zone.
West Ham had appeared to ease any relegation fears after collecting seven points from their three league games against Fulham, Arsenal, and Bournemouth between April 8 and April 23. However, three consecutive losses to Liverpool, Crystal Palace, and Manchester City have put them back into the relegation battle. David Moyes's side will face Man United, Brentford, Leeds United, and Leicester City in their final four league games of the season. They are also preparing for the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League against AZ Alkmaar.
Man United, on the other hand, appeared to have settled for a point in their last match against Brighton, but a late penalty gave the hosts the chance to win it, and they capitalized on it. The Red Devils remain in a strong position to secure a top-four spot, sitting fourth in the table, four points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool with a game in hand. However, another defeat in this match would leave them incredibly vulnerable.
West Ham will hope to recover Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek, and Nayef Aguerd, with the trio unavailable against Man City last time out through illness. Vladimir Coufal will miss out due to a hamstring injury, while Gianluca Scamacca and Kurt Zouma are unavailable for selection against Man United. There will be changes from the side that started at the Etihad Stadium, with Rice, Soucek, and Aguerd all likely to return, while Said Benrahma could also replace Pablo Fornals in an attacking position.
Man United could welcome Alejandro Garnacho back into their squad for this match, with the talented teenager back in first-team training after recovering from an ankle injury. However, Lisandro Martinez, Donny van de Beek, Scott McTominay, Raphael Varane, and Tom Heaton remain unavailable for selection. Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag is expected to make changes to the side that started against Brighton, with Jadon Sancho and Christian Eriksen potentially replacing Anthony Martial and Fred, while Marcel Sabitzer will also be in contention for a midfield role.
The Hammers have only picked up 22 points from their 17 home league games this season but will take encouragement from the fact that Man United have lost seven times on their travels in England's top flight during the 2022-23 campaign, including at Brighton on Thursday. The Red Devils have won their last three matches against West Ham, including two games this season.
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